[Paddlewise] Sunshine State Sharks

As tragic as it is to read of someone losing his life to a shark, it's also 
an opportunity to reflect on our place in one of the planet's last true 
wildernesses.  I live and float in what the media love to luridly describe 
as "the Red Triangle," an area of Central California noted for its healthy 
population of pinnipeds and (consequently) great white sharks.  Attacks are 
extremely rare, fatalities rarer.  The animals clearly don't regard humans 
as a prey species, but occasionally mistakes will happen.  Thanks to their 
habit of biting and releasing prey, only to return for feeding when the 
animal has bled to death, people are usually able to escape.  Great whites 
frequently show scarring on and around their eyes from encounters with seals 
and sea lions, so their caution appears warranted.

We are the apex predator, and knowing that there's an animal in the vicinity 
-- Alaskan brown bear, shark -- that may mistake us for food alters our 
perspective subtly but profoundly.  Most animals live with constant 
awareness of predation.  Sometimes, we're lucky enough to feel the shadow of 
that ourselves.

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